Latest News

A wonderful visit

Hello Jim,

We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed our visit to
your premises recently.The jams and
chutneys were wonderful, perfect flavour and consistency and we carried a jar
of pink marmalade, chilli jam and red onion chutney safely packed in our hiking
boots on the next stage of our journey to France where the chutney is perfect
with fresh goat's cheese or the local Roquefort!The ethical principles espoused by your
business are a refreshing change from less wholesome practises and we look
forward to being able to buy more products from Pivnita Bunicii in the future.

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, Global Markets Programme

December 2016

Transylvania Food Company Srl is pleased to announce that following our second annual audit by DQS Romania it has been confirmed that we meet the requirements set out in the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety (Issue 7), Global Markets Programme. We are the only micro-enterprise in Romania to achieve this status.

Craft Beer from UK

April 2016

We now import craft bottled and keg beer from the Ridgeway Brewery in Oxfordshire. the following notes from the head brewer provide some insight.

BOTTLE CONDITIONING

Most Ridgeway beer is bottle conditioned so
there is a small amount of yeast at the bottom of the bottle. This process
produces a much fresher tasting live beer than the common
alternative of pasteurisation and is the nearest you can get to cask
conditioned ale in a bottle. The yeast mops up every last trace of oxygen in
the bottle and acts as a completely natural preservative so we get a longer
shelf life that you would with a mass produced pasteurised beer.

We don't bottle condition our very strong
beers because the high alcohol content of 10% and over would cause yeast death
and unwanted flavours. Fortunately the alcohol itself does the preservation job
instead and these keep just as well without yeast.

WHOLE LEAF HOPS

We brew with whole leaf hops because I brew
beer that I personally like to drink and I think you get a cleaner bitterness
than with hop pellets. We would never ever use hop extract...the green jam that
the multinationals use for lowest cost. This is most of the cause of the nasty
lingering bitter that won't go away after you drink a mouthful of the poor
quality beers.

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, Global Markets Programme

February 2016

Transylvania Food Company Srl is pleased to
announce that following an audit by DQS Romania it has been confirmed that we meet
the requirements set out in the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety (Issue 7),
Global Markets Programme. We are the first micro-enterprise in Romania to
achieve this status.

Documentary

June 2015

We have produced a short documentary which we hope you will enjoy, learn about our
philosophy and a little bit about the area in which we work. You can watch Taste Transylvania on YouTube.

Forbes Romania

Transylvania Business Network

March 2015

We are founder members of this network and are pleased to announce the publication of "Arcada Transilvaniei", the magazine and members directory launched in March and containing details of members, promotional offers by members and topical articles. It is planned that this will become a quarterly publication. Bring your copy of the magazine to our shop or taste experience and the voucher will entitle you to a 10% discount. To obtain a copy, please send your contact details including mailing address to info@pivnitabunicii.ro You can also follow TBN on Facebook.

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety

March 2015

We have enrolled for certification with the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. Our first external audit was at the end of January and we have already rectified most of the issues raised. A second audit later this year will hopefully complete the process. Only 54 companies are so far registered to this standard in Romania and we will be one the first small enterprises and the first artisan producer of preserves.

Interview on Romanian Television

May 2014

We had good coverage of our activities on national television. As a result we had many people contacting us offering to pick elderflower for us.

British Romanian Chamber of Commerce (BRCC)

BRCC has recently taken on an important role on behalf of UK Trade and Investment, the UK Government Department that helps businesses succeed in international markets.

The thinking behind this agreement is that business is best placed to advise business and BRCC take great satisfaction in seeing businesses that they have helped pass their knowledge on to others.

The Transylvania Food Company is pleased to have been selected as one of two case studies included in their brochure just published to launch the BRCC Business Centre in Bucharest.

Romania Insider

We have taken a banner ad in the daily English language news site "Romania Insider" and click on any article of Daily News.

This has resulted in many new visitors to our web site.

Thank you all.

Pivnita Bunicii at airport Duty Free shops

October 2013

This product tasting event was organised for passengers by Arts & Crafts in their duty free shop in the Departures Mall at Bucharest Airport. Since then our products are also available from their Duty Free shops at Sibui and Targu Mures airports.

Bottlegreen launch Acacia Blossom in Sainsbury’s

1st October 2013

Try their NEW sparkling acacia blossom pressé now available in a 750ml bottle at Sainsbury’s. Deliciously refreshing plum-like flavour is so delightfully unusual and distinctly different. A must try!

Transylvania Business Network (TBN) Launched

27th April 2013

An informal business network has been launched by TFC to promote member businesses by referral. The objective is for each member to display and promote at least 20 brochures from other members. As some members will have more than one brochure and also brochures in different languages, there should be plenty for everyone to choose from – those that fit best with each business.

Networking is all about getting to know the members and developing a business relationship with some of them. Getting to know events are an important part of this process so that members establish for themselves who is genuine and authentic, to build trust, so that they know the right people, and are comfortable to make a referral.

Already there are already over 40 members signed up and the first "get to know” event was hosted by the Transylvania Food Company in Saschiz on Saturday 27th April. Twenty attended and we started with a tour of the process facility and some product tasting and then networking over a glass of wine or soft drink.

Bottlegreen launch Acacia Blossom in Waitrose

15th February 2013

"A sparkling presse of acacia blossom from Bottlegreen. This is quite an unusual drink that is really lovely. It is sparkling which makes it quite refreshing, the flavour reminds me of somewhere between Elderflower and a light beer, sweet and light and flowery, but with a slightly bitter but pleasant flavour. Ideal as a non alcoholic grown up drink.”

Two products to be sold under the Highgrove Label

September 2012

His Royal Highness is interested in the conservation of the landscape in Transylvania where he owns two houses and visits regularly to walk in the unspoilt wildflower meadows. The Prince of Wales supports initiatives that develop artisan food products and where there is considerable socio-economic impact. He visited our premises in Saschiz on 7th June 2012.

Our Apricot Preserve (190g) and Wildflower Meadow Honey (450g) are now available under the Highgrove label from the Highgrove Shops in Tetbury and Bath and from the Highgrove Estate Shop (open during garden visits only). The products are also available from the Highgrove online shop.

Food & Travel Magazine

August / September 2012

The article written by our friend Rosemary Barron "TRANSYLVANIA - It's love at first bite" was published on 5th July and tells of the rustic cuisine that we have been promoting.

A scan of the article can be downloaded from this link or you can buy the magazine at major newsagents.

Alternatively visit Food and Travel where back copies of the magazine and subscriptions can be ordered.

The photographer for the article was Mowie Kay and you can follow his blog.

Rosemary and Mowie travelled to Transylvania courtesy of the Food Development Company together with Discover Carpathia and Halewood Wines.

Taste Centre Opens to Visitors

9th June 2012

A group of 27 Austrian tourists visiting Saschiz were the first to book our taste experience. They heard about the socio-economic impact of our investment and tasted a range of jams, honey and cordials.

HRH The Prince of Wales visits our new food processing facility

7th June2012

PRESS RELEASE: The Transylvania Food Company Srl produces a range of cordials, fine preserves and chutney. Local ingredients are combined with traditional recipes, small batches and slow cooking to ensure that the products are full of flavour - just like the tasty ones grandmother used to make. To preserve these for winter, she would have stored them in her cool cellar, hence our brand is Pivniţa Bunicii, Grandma's Cellar or Pantry.

The Transylvania Food Company (TFC) also produces semi finished juices from elder and acacia flowers for further processing in the UK by a food and drinks manufacturer. TFC has a partnership agreement with a UK food and drinks manufacturer to supply a semi finished elder flower juice for further processing at their premises in England. Social responsibility is an integral part of both businesses giving equal importance to the economic, social and environmental concerns within their core activities.

The new production facility is located in modern premises in Saschiz, Mures County, where traditional skills are combined with quality control measures and modern production techniques that ensure a consistent product which fully meets the required standards of food safety and healthy eating.

The beautiful landscape around Saschiz, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a remarkable survival of medieval Europe – a mosaic of ancient forests, wildflower-rich grasslands and ancient villages with fortified Saxon churches. Traditional farming methods are in ecological balance with nature and wildlife.
HRH The Prince of Wales owns two houses in the area and is interested in the biodiversity and landscape of the area and makes regular visits to walk in the wildflower meadows and enjoy the heirloom culture. HRH supports initiatives that promote artisan food products and for some years has taken an interest in the progressive development of artisan food products from Saschiz. He visited the new facility on the 7th June 2012 during the period of processing elder flower juice for export to the UK.

"The investment in Saschiz by the Transylvania Food Company has brought the prospect for young people to get employment in the town and already they (Transylvania Food Company) are the second largest private sector employer. Their provision of training is giving young people the chance to learn new skills and hopefully this will keep some of them here in Saschiz and this will help us to create a vibrant community instead of youngsters leaving for work abroad. In addition, the casual work picking flowers provides much needed income for many poor families” says the Mayor of Saschiz, Mr Ovidiu Soaita.
The Transylvania Food Company is located in Saschiz thanks to the high level of support and cooperation from the Mayor over the past eight years.

Ioana Mihai, Director General of Transylvania Food Company commented "Last year we had an old lady tell us that from the money she earned collecting flowers for us in 2010 she was able to pay for her medication for most of the year. Her pension is just covering basic needs –medication was a luxury she could not otherwise afford. ”

"When customers taste our products at farmers markets the most common response is wow, just like my grandmother used to make and so we have opened a taste centre and outlet shop at our premises in Saschiz” said Jim Turnbull, founder and Chief Executive Officer.